Long, long ago, there was an ancient kingdom called Ys which prospered under the auspices of two heavenly Goddesses. Over time, the kingdom came to be known as Esteria, and its divine history was largely forgotten by all but the descendants of those who once preached the Goddesses’ will.

Buy Ys I and II Chronicles+

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"This is a fun, classic JRPG game pack with great music and story. It also has options to use three versions of each song, making it really enjoyable!"

About This Game

Long, long ago, there was an ancient kingdom called Ys which prospered under the auspices of two heavenly Goddesses. Over time, the kingdom came to be known as Esteria, and its divine history was largely forgotten by all but the descendants of those who once preached the Goddesses’ will. The only reminder of this lost lore was a cursed spire at the foot of a giant crater, which locals came to regard as “The Devil’s Tower.”

Eventually, the men and women who called Esteria their home began mining a uniquely radiant silver from the nearby mountains, and development boomed. Towns were built, and the land became rich with life.

Then, all at once, monsters began to appear. Only a few at first – but soon enough, the land was swarming with them, and the Esterians had no choice but to hide in fear, remaining ever vigilant just to stay alive.

Our story begins with a young man who’d heard rumors of these misfortunes, and strove to verify them with his own eyes; a brave swordsman with an adventurous spirit bolstered by his own youthful naiveté.

His name was Adol Christin.

With no regard for his own safety, Adol set sail toward Esteria through a heretofore impassable barrier of neverending storms. There, he was destined to become ensconced within a 700 year-old mystery that would ultimately take him to a long-lost land nestled amongst the clouds...

Ys I & II Chronicles+ is the most modernized and up-to-date remake of Falcom’s classic franchise-spawning action RPGs from 1987 and 1988. Come see how the story began, and witness the birth of a legend!

Key Features

Classic buttonless “bump” combat receives a full analog-enabled upgrade for gamepad users, and is augmented in Ys II by a robust magic system.

Soundtrack selectable from among the original 80s FM-synth, an early 2000s MIDI-style remix or a modern studio performance by Falcom’s in-house rock band.

Character art selectable from 90s-style portraits or more modern anime designs.

This game has one of the hardest boss of all time Dark Fact. Dark Fact has no mercy to the weak soul. If you are a fan of the JRPG genre this is a must have to your collection. And if you are a hardcore gamer, Dark Fact is waiting for you.

The Ys games are small, short JRPGs. What really makes them stand out is the combat. Instead of turn based, selecting your move from a list, Ys instead adopts a mechanic wherein you “bump” into the enemies. This is done by walking into the enemies either off centre in the first game or at a diagonal in the second game.

The games overall are relatively simple. Bump into enemies, level up, continue on your quest. If you can no longer damage enemies you need an equipment upgrade or to level some more. The story is also pretty simple in both games as long as you pay attention to where you need to be heading, otherwise you can find yourself getting one hit killed by encountering certain enemies too early.

Both games have a great soundtrack, are bundled at a cheap price and are JRPGs that don’t take 60+ hours to complete. A warning though, the bosses in the second game are more bullet-hell so make sure you are prepared.

This game is a blast from the past. I played the original series from the older generation consoles. The game itself has nice characters, wonderful story, good development, and a nice animation tone to it. There are variations however the game is truly lived to it's run. The series has met what it did before and transferring it here for those who can't get it, helps out a lot and a bundle to. I loved playing these treasures from ways ago. If you like this, you may like Shining Tears and Suikoden as other series that have many other rpg respective elements. However this game series was one piece of my childhood 10 out 10.

Got to the maximum level in about an hour, then spent another looking for the book of Ys. This is a good oldie, but it's short. i dont need to finnish it to tell you that. I love the Ys series, bosses are hard, varied characters and enemies and there is always some sort of suprise or twist that comes with these games. the only thing i didnt like about this one is that when you start off, there is no clear objective or quest. This is inconvienient but it allows for some lore exploration and whatever the devs put in.

The music, the character interactions and the small touches make this a very good game with attention to detail expected of Japanese developers.Whether you will love this game or hate it, though, ultimately comes down to if you like the combat system or not.

If you are considering buying this game, educate yourself. Look up videos that show off the combat so you will know whether you like it or not.

I personally think the combat makes the whole game more fast-paced and the sound and graphic design makes it extremely satisfying.However, if the combat does not appeal to you, you will throw away money if you buy this game.

Worth a buy if you are a fan of JRPGs and worth a buy on discounted sales if you want to become one.Old but gold, for fans of story driven RPGs definitely worth a look. First game is a tad short but thats why it comes in the bundle. At the beginning it felt a bit grindy but once you get used to the combat system it becomes bearable. Boss encounters are though and unbeatable below certain thresholds but thats how JRPGs handle business. Special props deserve the anime FMVs and especially the soundtrack, the music is superb!

This game screams: Epic. Retro. Action RPG. While we're at it, Ys Chronicles+ kicks Major ♥♥♥ (this is an E rated review)! The game mechanics are so simple and so addictive that you can literally spend hours grinding monsters, just because! And then you look at the clock and think, “Holy Pants! It's tomorrow! ...But maybe just a little longer...” and then you turn into a zombie. Yea, this is a hyperbole, but it's not as much of an overstatement as you might think.

And did I mention that this is a package of two games? Quick history lesson. When Falcom was developing Ys, limitations forced them to split the epic into two, resulting in two games, Ys I and II, collectively called (in this case) The Ys Chronicles (Ys Complete, Ys Eternal, Ys Epic Remake VII, these two games have seen a plethora of remakes, and Ys Chronicles+ is the latest and arguably greatest).

Cons:- Some bosses (Ys I only) can be frustrating- A few very minor things- Review doesn't do it justice (but hopefully comes close)

Ys soundtracks are... you know what, there is no word that can properly describe how phenomenally awesome the music in Ys games are. In fact, Ys soundtracks should have their own special term. No really. I'm going to make one up right now: Ystoundingtrack. ...Maybe a work in progress. If you think the music doesn't somehow contribute to the addictiveness of this game, think again. The gameplay is addictive on its own. Now throw in the energizing rock music from the Ystoundingtrack and suddenly you have such an unstoppable locomotive of energy that you just want to cheer every time an enemy explodes into the aether (what a mouthful). The track that stands out the most in this respect is the Ys I overworld music. It's perfect. The rest of the Ystoundingtrack in both games are kick-♥♥♥ (darn E rating), but it's that overworld theme that's going to awesome the hours away.

Speaking of gameplay, Ys Chronicles has one of the most unbelievably simple yet inhumanly addictive gameplay ideas to every grace the world of video games. You ready for this? You sure? Well here it is: you bump into enemies, and they die. That's basically it. The game is presented in the standard top down perspective of retro RPG fame, and all you have to do is bump into enemies off centre to damage them, and then they die (if you run into them dead centre from the front or they run into you, you take damage... it's a little hard to explain with words alone). Now you might be thinking, “but how can something so mind-numbingly simple be so mind-numbingly addictive?” This gameplay element has been described by it's creators as the game equivalent of popping bubble wrap - they're not wrong. The gameplay results in very tight, fast paced action, and that only helps contribute to the energy of the game.

Other than the basic gameplay element, this is also an RPG. In Ys I, the RPG element is very downplayed, and by the time you reach the big mid-boss of the game, you basically have to be at max level (level 10) in order to face him. In Ys II, the RPG element is more developed and balanced. You also get the additional gameplay mechanic of magic in Ys II through the use of magical rods (bologna! they're magic wands - for those who don't know, bologna is pronounced: boloney). Ys II has a lot added features compared to Ys I (I'll get into some of these as I go along). In Ys I, the only thing enemies do is run around at varying speeds. It gets repetitive. Fortunately, Ys I is a short game, and it makes up for it's repetitive nature with creative and interesting locations (extra points for the enemies looking cool). In Ys II, however, every enemy has its own unique attack in addition to the regular means of damaging you.

The bosses are where Ys I becomes fiendishly hard. Don't believe me? The big bad mid-boss is a monster! A superboss!! Add to the fact that you can only properly fight him with... well I won't give it away, but if you've talked to everybody, you should have an idea of what you need to fight this boss. And that's not even the hardest boss in the game. That trophy goes to Ys I final boss. Every other boss can be defeated on skill alone, once you know what to do. The final boss, however, has such a luck factor involved that it's... awesome! Unbelievably, they somehow managed to make a luck based boss that's, in addition to frustrating, so frakin fun to fight that it's awesome. Don't ask me how, I honestly don't know. The bosses in Ys II aren't as challenging. In fact, that's the one thing I though was a downgrade from Ys I. The challenging bosses in Ys I is one of the things that I found made the game so enjoyable and memorable. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of enjoyable and memorable to be had in Ys II. And the bosses are challenging and fun, just not as challenging as I would have liked. Also, most of the bosses can only be killed with fire magic. It would have been nice to have some of the other magic come into play, but... oh well.

Ys II makes up for this by being a huge game compared to Ys I with a much grander story to go with it. The story in Ys I is more basic with fewer characters, and because it has fewer characters, it feels like they had more time to focus on and develope them. In Ys II, while the many characters do get time for developement, it's hard to focus on any one character because there's just so many of them. Heck, there's also a present system in Ys II, and if you give people presents they'll say something different than before. Heck+, with the right spell, you can TALK TO EVERY ENEMY IN THE GAME! Did I mention you can BURN VILLAGERS?! (They don't die, they just say something funny). Everyone and everything has something unique to say, and often more than one solitary thing. The most memorable characters of both games leave a lasting impression for one reason or another (in one case, literally because of a hole in the wall). The plot of both games is basically the same, and it's RPG generic, but the story weaves its way around the plot in such an interesting way that it transforms the simplicity of the plot into a foundational strength. That takes serious skill. While not what I would call a perfect story, the characters, the locations, the events, it all works together to make for a truly fun and enjoyable experience.

As a retro RPG, these games do have some minor annoyances. In Ys I, there is one point where you have to talk to a character about something pointless before being able to proceed to the final dungeon of the game. All the other stuff you have to do makes sense, but this short conversation... doesn't. Why was it necessary (maybe it's a bug)? Ys II doesn't have this problem. Instead, it has the hide important gameplay elements issue. There is a very minor gameplay element that is critical for dealing with one boss (you can technically fight the boss without it, but that's nearing the realm of impossible). So, what do they do with the explanation of this gameplay element? As far as I know, one of the characters tells you about it, but only if you give them enough presents, and there are a huge number of characters in this game. Personally, I don't think stumbling onto gameplay elements is good game design. It's always fun to have some puzzles in a game, but these puzzles should be a unique application of the gameplay elements you already know, not somehow stumbling onto the fact that if you press a certain control a certain way for a certain magic, something different will happen (as an Easter egg it would be OK though).

Ys Chronicles+ are two phenomenal games filled with great energy and fast paced fun. Recommended. Period.

Since The review is for both games, mine will be incomplete until I finish the second.

There is an interesting story to be hhad with this game. It is perhaps the only thing that may keep you playing as the combat isn't really engaging.

The combat is you running in to monsters untill they die. There is not strategy or fun really to be had there. Its not bad but it doesn't really add anything to the game. I think if the game had been any longer than it was it would have gotten old. I am hoping the second one adds something to this system as im sure I am not going to like it if it is the same thing for another 4 hours.

There are also a lot of strange solutions to progressing in this game that you are going to need a guide for if you dont want to be annoyed.

The soundtrack is very good. I enjoyed all of the music that played even if at times it didn't fit what was happening well.

After completing Ys I and just finished Ys II. I can now write my review of this classic RPG title.

Ys I & II Chronicles+ is a mix of both the first and second titles that I have no clue how I never knew about. It is one of those amazing JRPGs that perhaps not many know about.

Ys I is a very short and simple game compared to the slightly longer Ys II, but it introduced me to a unique battle system I didn't expect, the Bump system. Tho I was a bit weirded out by this, I quickly started to enjoy the combat, I started to believe that some recent RPGs like Half Minute Hero may have been influced by Ys, but now I'm just rambling away. Going back to the review, Ys I will not hold your hand and lead you to the quest, that is for you to discover, something I honestly enjoyed as many games tend to hold your hand and lead you without thinking for yourself.

The music for both titles is absolutely amazing and well done, personally my favorite was the Complete version, and I played that soundtrack in its entirety through both games the majority of the time. The world of Ys itself is beautiful to view, even with the good old graphics. The game is filled with great characters to meet and talk to, you may grow attached to some of them on your journey.

The story of Ys I & II will captivate you, it presents a great story for such a small package. The enemies are difficult depending on how much you grind and what weapons you buy/find on your journey. I advise those to grind a few extra levels for good measure, especially the 2nd game as the first, you'll max out very quickly. The one thing I want you to remember is when you meet Dark Fact, he will show no mercy to the weak, if you are hardcore, Dark Fact will behappy to see you over and over again.

Overall Ys I & II are classics I wished I played in the past, but thankfully it is never too late to discover amazing games now matter how old they are. Now I am interested in playing the other titles in the franchise, thus I have become a fan. You will not regret playing these games.

A very energetic, fast-paced action RPG. With great music, awesome pixel art, and a healthy dose of challenge, Ys I should keep you entertained if you're in the mood for an RPG, but you don't wanna dedicate 40+ hours to it. However, the "bump-based" combat takes some getting used to, and some of what you have to do is a little unclear near the end. It's nothing a quick glance at a guide doesn't clear up, though.

The key to push forward in any Ys (pronounced eese) game is to grind to level up and also save ALOT. I saved immediately after I get items and stand in front of a bosses door. And as for leveling up, some bosses are hard if you don't level up.

As for the game itself, there was something lacking with this version versus the TurboGrafx version that lost it's charm, however it is still a fun game to play. The list below metions some of the bad parts of the game.

- Why isn't there a front entrance to Minea? - Triggers to make the game progress are SO ANNOYING (ie. Jeva, Feena) - Why must I EAT the Rhoda tree seed? This was not in the original. - The last thing is the annoying amulet you must get in the tower after climing all the way up to the top. This also annoyed me in the original TurboGrafx version.

Overall, the music was spectacular, but still doesn't compare to the Turbo Grafx version. Something is just missing.

Great old school game!! But play the Wii/Turbo version if you want a better game.

And as for all you whiny babies who need to swing a sword and stopped playing because of it, give it another try! There is nothing like ramming into monsters when you are fully powered and acting like you are playing Zelda on crack.

Classic. Remember sitting watching my brother-in-law play Ys I on his Turbo Graphix as a child. Ahhh 1989. This game gets an upgrade from the original Turbo Graphix version in terms of graphics otherwise it remains the same. Keep in mind if buying that this game is now 25 years old just with enhanced graphics and it's still a treasure. Ys II is my favorite of the two, but you should play Ys I for the story of course. Ys I and Ys II will always hold a special place in my heart <3

Beautiful game! Awseome music! And the gameplay is pretty good. Though if most of you want to play a more earlier version of Ys 1 and 2, I recommend the Turbografx 16 version. Still this game is good and will always be a favorite of mine.

An enjoyable classic RPG bundle, both with interesting stories, cool graphics and music, and simple yet fun gameplay which will drag you in, even if you aren't the biggest RPG fanatic ever, like me. Definitely a great way to get into the series if you haven't been introduced to the original games.